


When Did I Get So Lucky?

by Humansunshine



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Cigar Smoking, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Engaged Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Healthy Relationships, M/M, Magnus is an introvert, Malec are great at communication, Mild Sexual Content, Self Care, Smoking, alec is a sweetheart, self resentment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 16:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14023932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Magnus loves Alec more than anything, but sometimes a guy just needs some space.Relationships aren't always about being together constantly.





	When Did I Get So Lucky?

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Writing fic based on my own real life situations? NEVER.
> 
> I bashed this out in about an hour and a half, so feel free to point out any mistakes. 
> 
> Just a soft little Magnus-centric one-shot.
> 
> Trigger warnings:
> 
> Sexual contact warning: At the end there's a bit where Magnus teases Alec, sort of groping him through his boxers, but it never goes further than that.
> 
> Self-hate/resentment: Magnus is tough on himself about his need for alone time, but Alec assuages his fears.

“Well, well, well, fancy seeing you here,” Alec purred, wrapping his arms around Magnus from behind.

Magnus jumped a little, laughing softly as he leaned back into Alec’s embrace, his hands picking the mail out of his and Alexander’s pigeonhole. “Good day?”

“It was alright,” Alec shrugged, kissing Magnus’ shoulder. “Yours?”

“Busy and stressful,” Magnus admitted, pulling out of Alec’s hold as he sorted through the mail. “The elevator’s out of order again, we’ll have to walk up. I’m exhausted.”

“Aw, babe,” Alec frowned, catching Magnus’ hand and winding their fingers together. “You want me to make dinner tonight?” 

Magnus smiled as Alec pulled open the door to the stairway, kissing the other man on the cheek as they started to climb up. “That would be wonderful.” 

“One steak dinner and a dry martini coming right up,” Alec promised, and Magnus sighed happily, letting Alec tug him up the stairs towards their apartment. The two of them alternated making dinner on weekdays, apart from Fridays, which was date night, and the weekends, when they cooked together. Alec had already cooked twice this week, and was now letting Magnus off again. When did he get so lucky?

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” 

“This morning, twice.” Alec replied smugly, eyes sparkling with happiness. Magnus squeezed his hand lightly, elbowing him in the ribs.

“Seriously, what got you in such a good mood? You’re glowing.” Magnus chuckled, feeling warm and relaxed just in his lover’s presence. 

Alec shrugged, pushing the door open for Magnus and letting go of his hand to let him go in first. “We’ve been together for twenty-seven months today. I was thinking about you all day. Of all the amazing memories we’ve made, all the stuff we still have to do...”

“Oh,” Magnus’ throat tightened, still not used to the blunt, flippant way Alec just declared his feelings. He unbuttoned his jacket slowly, feeling inexplicably anxious. He was touched by Alec’s words, but he also had a feeling that Alec was in a touchy, cuddly, clingy mood, and while Magnus usually revelled in Alec’s undivided attention, he hadn’t had a moment to himself in days. His clients had been demanding more and more of him, which meant his appointments were now more or less back-to-back, twelve hours a day. And then when he came home, Alec was already there, attentively making sure he didn’t work too late so he could spend time with Magnus. It was lovely, but…

God, Magnus really wanted to smoke a cigar by himself and decompress.

And it was ridiculous! He’d spent a century alone feeling desperately lonely and depressed, and then the universe gifts him with his soulmate and all of a sudden he needs alone time? Magnus still didn’t understand himself sometimes, even after 400 years. 

“One vodka martini, extra dry. I think I’m getting pretty good at them, you know.” Alec holding out a cocktail glass to him snapped him out of his reverie, and Magnus smiled at him.

“Thank you, angel. You’re a lifesaver.” Magnus kissed Alec on the cheek, and pressed his forehead to Alec’s temple. “Can we talk? While you cook?” 

Alec had never, ever expressed impatience with Magnus’ feelings, not since that one incident with the serial killer and the hair early in their relationship, so Magnus wasn’t surprised when Alec nodded, eyebrows creasing into concern. “Sure, baby, what’s up? Did I do something to upset you?”

Magnus shook his head, his heart sinking. God, he was an awful human being. “It’s nothing, you haven’t done anything wrong. It’s me. I’m just… Fucked up.” He cleared his throat a little, a wave of pure resentment at himself washing over him. He had to get this out or he might just cry, and then Alec would be even sweeter and make him feel even worse.

“You’re not fucked up, Magnus. Come on,” Alec patted the kitchen island, indicating for Magnus to sit there before turning to grab some potatoes and the steaks from the fridge. “Talk to me.” 

“I feel… Overwhelmed.” Magnus admitted. “I feel so strung out by work now, I forgot how difficult private clients can be, and I just need time to recharge when I get home. And don’t get me wrong, I love living with you, it’s amazing, and you’re so good to me, angel. Please, please don’t think that this is anything to do with you, it really isn’t. I swear. I just…” Magnus sighed, watching his feet swing a little. “I need silence sometimes. I need a little solitude, just to put my head on straight at the end of the day.” 

“And I’ve been smothering you,” Alec nodded, cutting up the potatoes into thin fries. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for!” Magnus insisted, squeezing Alec’s shoulder. “You’re perfect.”

Alec smiled. “It’s totally natural to want time to yourself. Listen, if I had to deal with assholes every second of the day I’d want alone time too. As it happens, I’m alone in the office most of the time. I really should’ve realised that you weren’t getting any you-time. It’s fine, Magnus. Really. We have all the time in the world. We don’t have to spend every second of our free time together.” 

Magnus sighed, and his shoulders eased. “So you get it?”

“Of course!” Alec laughed, putting down his knife and the potato he was cutting up to come to stand between Magnus’ knees. “You may act like an outgoing person, but I know better than anyone that secretly you enjoy your own company just as much. I know you. And I’m sorry I didn’t notice before. I was too caught up in your glow to notice, I guess.” He teased, his hands rubbing up and down Magnus’ sides. 

Magnus pressed their foreheads together. “I love you.” 

“I love you too. Now, do you want this steak dinner with me, or by yourself? If you want it by yourself, I can just go and hang out with Izzy for a few hours. It’s no big deal.” 

“How about… We eat dinner together and then you maybe go catch a movie with Luke or something to give me a few hours to smoke a cigar?” Magnus compromised, tilting his head to the side.

Alec glowered at him. “Cigars are bad for you.”

“I’m immortal, sweetness.” 

“Still bad.” Alec growled, tickling Magnus’ sides. 

Magnus squirmed out of Alec’s hold, hopping back down onto the floor. “So three martinis a night are just fine but one cigar in two years is absolutely going to kill me?” 

“Exactly, I’m glad you follow my logic,” Alec replied drily. 

Magnus snorted, and grabbed for the salt pig, rubbing some salt into the first steak. “You’re not my husband yet, you can’t nag me.” 

“Soon.” Alec countered.

“Soon.” Magnus grinned, twisting the engagement ring on his finger with the pad of his thumb. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus felt bad for thinking it, but having a few hours without Alec around was absolute bliss. He hummed loudly as he reclined in his favourite armchair, having just set down his third glass of red wine, and took a nice, indulgent drag of his cigar. 

“Fuck yeah,” Magnus sighed as the smoke billowed from his lips, stretching out luxuriously. 

The Good Wife was playing on the TV, one of the older seasons, since Alec would be grumpy if Magnus watched ahead without him, and Magnus felt so spoiled. His heart felt so full of affection for his boyfriend, his eyes drifting over to the framed picture of them sitting on the mantelpiece. It was so sweet of Alec to give Magnus this time. Magnus knew how much Alec treasured the hours after dinner, relied on them to keep his mind off the death and darkness of his job. It was so, so kind to let that go to indulge Magnus. 

Magnus was so, so lucky. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus was in the bath when his phone buzzed, and he sat up to summon his phone, squinting at the screen.

Alec: The movie’s over. I can sleep at the institute tonight if you want, don’t wanna disturb your me-time if you need more xxxxxx

Magnus sighed dreamily, slipping back into the hot, bubbly water. There was no way in hell that Magnus was going to bed without cuddles from Alec tonight, but he was so touched at the selflessness of his boyfriend that he took a moment to bask in it. Alec loved him so much, so much he could barely fathom it. How could someone like Alec love someone like him that much? It was impossible, yet… There he was, doing it anyway. 

“Siri, text Angel.” Magnus said, “come home you beautiful man, exclamation point. Ex, ex, ex, point.” 

“Sent to… Angel.” Siri replied, and Magnus hummed, sinking a little lower in the water. He’d enjoy his bath for a little while longer before getting out and drying off. It would take Alec a while to walk back from the movies, anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Babe?” Alec called as he let himself into the apartment.

“Bedroom!” Magnus replied, already tucked up under the covers with a book in his hands. A client of his had recommended this particular biography of Virginia Woolf after seeing his collection of her novels on his shelf, and though he’d only read a few pages, he was enjoying it already. He’d missed the opportunity to meet Mrs Woolf while she was alive, which was one of Magnus’ big regrets of that decade. 

“You look like you’re feeling better,” Alec commented, smiling softly at his boyfriend. 

Magnus looked up, and threw back the covers on Alec’s side of the bed. “Oh, I do. It was lovely to have that time to myself. Thank you for indulging me, angel.” Magnus kissed the top of Alec’s head as he climbed under the covers. 

Alec hummed, snuggling into Magnus’ side. “I would have been totally fine staying at the institute, but I’m so glad you had me come back.”

“No matter how much I needed that alone time, I would never miss our evening cuddles.” 

Alec smiled, burying his face in Magnus’ neck. “So how about Wednesday night as Magnus night, hmm? Me and Luke had fun together tonight, he said we should do it again and I think we could probably make it a weekly thing.” 

Magnus sighed happily, putting the book aside and turning onto his side so his body was plastered right up against Alec’s. “That would be wonderful. As long as you don’t mind.” 

“Of course not! Luke’s a lot of fun outside work. We didn’t talk about shadow world stuff once. He was telling me about the weirdest cases he’s ever worked on the force. Mundanes really are something.”

“They really are,” Magnus agreed, rubbing his nose against Alec’s. “It’s really okay?”

Alec smiled, and lifted his hand to cup Magnus’ cheek. “I would do anything to make you happy, babe.” 

Magnus closed his eyes, burrowing an inch closer to his boyfriend. 

“I just have one tiny request.” Alec said hesitantly, and Magnus opened one eye, humming inquisitively. “Rub my butt?”

Magnus snorted, nodding. Alec turned over, wriggling his ass into Magnus’ hand. “You’re so cute. I can’t believe people think you’re scary and imposing.” 

“Listen, if a powerful man can’t enjoy having his booty played with, what’s the point?” Alec huffed, humming happily as Magnus squeezed and rubbed at his ass cheek, slipping his hand up the leg of his boxers to touch the soft, bare skin. If Alec was being honest with himself, he'd been unbearably horny all day, but he knew that Magnus wasn’t in the mood, so this was the next best thing. 

“Very true. You definitely earned a little attention.” Magnus kissed the back of Alec’s neck, making the other man shiver. 

“Magnus, you’re making me squirm, stop that,” Alec giggled softly, squishing his jaw into his shoulder. 

“I like making you squirm,” Magnus purred.

Alec swallowed hard. “I figured you wouldn’t be in the mood for sex tonight.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Magnus replied, an evil grin growing on his face, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t tease the shit out of you.” 

“Fuck’s sake,” Alec whined, blushing red. “You’re an asshole sometimes.” 

“Yeah?” Magnus asked breathlessly, reaching his hand around Alec’s body to squeeze his cock gently. 

Alec gulped back a moan. “Mmmmm… No, you’re great, don’t stop.” 

Magnus chuckled. “That’s what I thought. That feel nice?”

“Uh huh,” Alec answered, toes curling against the sheets. “Yeah, yeah, it’s nice.” 

“Hmmmm…” Magnus kneaded Alec's cock for a few minutes more until the other man started to whine, and then his hand trailed up to Alec’s stomach, slowly rubbing circles into the soft pudge that Alec had grown since he started working behind a desk. Magnus adored it, and spent hours rubbing and kissing the slight give of his boyfriend’s tummy. It was the cutest part of Alec, in Magnus’ opinion, and he petted it lovingly now, smirking as Alec cursed under his breath. “I think you might need some alone time now, huh?” 

“I should probably take a shower anyway,” Alec admitted, causing them both to chuckle. Alec twisted a little to kiss Magnus on the lips. “Be right back.” 

“Take your time, angel,” Magnus encouraged, reclining back in bed and reaching for his book once more. 

Alec dropped one more soft kiss onto Magnus’ forehead before climbing out of bed to start the shower.


End file.
